


Hold Me Tight

by Outlawed_00



Category: Ripper Street
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Drunk Cuddles, Drunken Confessions, Drunken Kissing, Finger Sucking, Fluff and Angst, Frottage, Fuck It This Shit Is Gay, Gentle Kissing, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Fine and So Are You, Licking, M/M, Rutting, Totally Not Making The End Tags Weird On Purpose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:55:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27379816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Outlawed_00/pseuds/Outlawed_00
Summary: Homer Jackson is kicked out by Susan and shows up at Reid's house drunk,
Relationships: Homer Jackson/Edmund Reid
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	Hold Me Tight

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Ripper Street fanfiction. :) Go easy on me, also I think I'm obsessed? Help.

Inspector Reid sat on his couch, reading over a few reports on the Ripper. A knock on his door startled him, and he shut the book slowly, curious as to who was at the door at this time of night. He stood and walked over to the door, opening it to reveal Jackson; his hair a mess, the first buttons of his shirt undone, and a few cuts on his face from where he'd most likely gotten into a fight.

"Reid," Jackson said in his usual arrogant tone of voice, one that annoyed him from time to time. Normally he would have said _something_ to Jackson, but there was a look of defeat in Jackson's eyes that said that he best save it for another night.

"You look-"

"What, like shit?" Jackson gestured to himself. "Thanks, but I already know,"

"Bar fight?" Reid asked.

"More like Susan... and a random man at the bar," Jackson said, and Reid stepped aside, letting him in. "She's kicked me out again, and last time you told me I was free to come here whenever I liked, so I decided to drop by," he was leaning forward, clearly drunk out of his mind. He stumbled forward and Reid held him up, shutting the door behind the American.

"Hey, take it easy," Reid said, trying to keep him steady.

He could feel Jackson's warm breath on his neck and the tiny droplets of water dripping from his hair where it looked like he had been splashed with water dripping through the clothes on his shoulder. His grey-ish blue coat felt suddenly too warm, but Jackson was shivering, and clearly not dressed for cold weather and he had been soaked with water, the upper part of his clothes a little damp.

The glass bottle nearly slipped from Jackson's fingers and he grabbed it, not wanting it to shatter on the floor and then him have to clean it up later. Jackson nuzzled into his warmth, his eyes closing slightly. "Don't tell me to take it easy," he muttered.

"You're exhausted, at least get out of these clothes. They're damp and you'll get sick," Reid said, walking him over to the couch.

Reid sucked in a breath, holding himself steady as Jackson pressed himself closer to to Reid, nearly putting all his weight into him. He reached for the bottle in Jackson's hand, sighing when Jackson held onto it tighter and grumbled out a complaint. The Captain's lips were pressed to his neck, and he nuzzled closer to his warmth.

He pressed him into the couch, frowning when Jackson didn't want to part with the bottle of liquor. Jackson looked up at him through his lashes, his hat already having fallen from his head. Reid picked it up, rolling his eyes.

"You look like you are still ready to leave," Jackson commented, and Reid couldn't understand how he was even able to get out complete sentences with how drunk he was. "Always try to look your best even in the comfort of your own home," he huffed.

"Why are you here?" Reid asked, trying to avoid eye contact with the American.

"Because I'm lonely," Jackson admitted and Reid hadn't been expecting that honesty coming from him, but then again, he _was_ drunk. "Since Hobbs - since Goodnight and being framed as the Ripper - I've been thinkin' on skippin' town. Then Susan has to remind me of _you..._ and-" he paused, as if he was about to say something that he shouldn't be saying.

"How so did she remind you of me?" Reid asked, _knowing_ that he pried hard enough that Jackson would tell him. Maybe he didn't have to pry at all, but Jackson wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it. It wouldn't matter, would it?

"Joked to take you with us," he chuckled as if it was the strangest thing he had ever heard, rolling his eyes. Then, he frowned, looking up to the ceiling as if trying to escape something in his mind. "I know you wouldn't, and no one will miss me in the slightest," he added, closing his eyes.

Reid sighed, going to take off his coat to put over Jackson, but then stopped. "Does it bother you?" He asked, tempted to run his fingers through Jackson's hair to keep it from sticking to his forehead.

"It shouldn't,"

"That's not the answer to my question,"

"Yes, damn it, but it _shouldn't,_ " Jackson hissed out, his grey eyes snapping open to stare into Reid's. 

"Surely it is not the only thing that bothers you. There are others," Reid said, and Jackson's gaze softened only slightly.

"Amongst many. I know I am not wanted here, and I can feel their cold gazes upon my back every time I leave behind you. Damn it, Reid, you're the only thing keeping me here," Jackson admitted, sitting up-right.

Reid couldn't quell his curiosity, nor his desire to hear it from Jackson directly. The way Jackson had leaned into him, pressed his lips to his neck almost unresponsively as if stuck in a thought that could set him apart from the way he was now and the slightest acceleration of his heartbeat. Jackson's gaze lingered on his lips a second too long, and a muscle in his jaw ticked when he looked to almost be spaced out in thought.

It was clearly hard for him to hold back, but some things said in this day and age were damning. Jackson might fight for the privacy of his secret for as long as he lived, but Reid still felt for him.

"Do I bother you, Captain?" Reid asked.

"Yes," Jackson said, reaching for him. "Those _blue_ eyes of yours bother me, everything you say or do just gets on my nerves," he said, holding onto his coat and pulling him down. "And you want to know why?" It sounded more like a demand.

"Why," Reid breathed out, feeling Jackson's breath upon his lips and not doing anything to push him away.

"Because..." Jackson pressed his lips to Reid's, his motions awkward and sloppy. Reid wanted to feel disgusted, wanted to push himself away and yet he leaned into Jackson. He tasted of cheap liquor and cigarettes, but felt more like home than he cared to admit for. He shivered, felt a whine threatening to escape him at the feeling of being touched so gently. "I ache for you," Jackson muttered against his lips, a sad sound coming from his American. Reid pulled away, shaking his head and licking his lips.

"You're drunk, Jackson. You will not remember this by morning," Reid said, pushing him back. He turned to leave and Jackson stopped him.

"Damn it Reid, I'm trying to tell you that I-"

Reid sucked in a breath, turning around and silencing him with his mouth. He didn't want to hear, didn't want those words to escape Jackson because the impact of them were too heavy to hear coming from another man.

He was aware of Jackson's feelings, but he didn't want to confirm them this way. Jackson was drunk, and he wasn't thinking clearly.

"Edmund, why?" Jackson asked, but it sounded more like a plea. "Why does it have to be this way?"

"What are you on about, Jackson," Reid demanded, not wanting to hear more. He would be damning Jackson if he heard any more, and he was afraid of not being enough to help him this time.

"Why can't I ache for you? Is it wrong for me think of you every day and night?" Jackson asked, his eyes watery and clouded with a pain that Reid wished to see gone from his eyes. He turned their positions and lay beside him, pulling Jackson closer. "I'm putting my life in your hands by telling you of this, and it's not _fair_ that I have feelings for _you_ of all people," he muttered, "at least tell me I won't get persecuted for this," he begged quietly.

"You will not, Homer," Reid said almost breathlessly and Jackson cooed at the sound of his name coming from Reid. "But please be aware that if you keep talking, you cannot take back those words," he muttered, feeling Jackson's hat falling from his fingers when Jackson pressed closer to him, his head on his arm.

"I know, but I don't _want_ to take them back. I want you to know how I _feel,_ " Jackson said, gritting his teeth. "And that it hurts to feel for you and it feels like I'm being eaten from the inside out. It never feels right to just be _beside_ you and know that I'm being watched by everyone if for an entirely different reason than to how I feel about you. You have me drowning in desires that seem almost disgusting to mankind and I can't _stop,_ "

"Homer, stop. You are not in the right state of-"

"But I won't just _forget._ I'm not drunk..." Jackson felt the bottle slipping from his fingers and Reid picked it up, setting it over to side, as well as his hat. "I _know_ what I'm saying, damn it. It's not fair to me that..." he was babbling now, his eyes closed as he cursed Reid in hushed breaths.

"Then you're aware of what could happen. If you say this, you are damning yourself to a lifetime of suffering," Reid said, one hand on the side of Jackson's face.

"I don't care, Edmund," Jackson said, pressing his lips to his chin softly. Reid cursed Jackson in his mind, then ran his fingers through his damp hair to get it out of his eyes. "I'm in-"

"Please, Captain," Reid pleaded, covering Jackson's mouth with his hand. "Do _not._ I cannot hear you say it," he said, closing his eyes. If he didn't remember this in the morning, it wouldn't just be Jackson who suffered.

He could feel Jackson's tongue against his palm and he shivered at the sensation, his eyes narrowing as he snatched his hand back. "Can't or won't? Why would you deny me my heart? I just..." he gulped, squeezing his eyes shut. Reid pressed his lips to the corner of Jackson's mouth, the stubble tickling his lips. "I _need_ you," Jackson choked out, and Reid felt his heart constrict at the words that came from Jackson, so broken and tormented.

"Then say it," Reid said, caressing his face, his thumb tracing over his lips. "But if you forget what you say tonight, I will continue to go on and never speak of it for as long as you keep it to yourself," he added, and Jackson met his eyes.

"I love you," Jackson said, completely sincere. Those eyes burned into Reid's mind and he felt himself shiver. Jackson's tongue licked the tip of thumb, and then he sucked it into his mouth and closed his eyes.

"Fuck..." Reid hissed under his breath and Jackson opened his eyes slightly, squinting at him.

"Naughty," Jackson whispered, scraping his teeth gently over the top of Reid's thumb. "You've got a dirty mouth, Edmund," Jackson teased; his voice a grumble as he pressed a kiss to the tip of his thumb.

"Homer," Reid's voice was a warning growl, and he pulled Jackson's hips to his and crashing their mouths together. "I would stop before you regret this," he mumbled against his lips.

Jackson groaned, pulling at his vest in a needy drunken haze. He didn't _care_ about what would happen to him if he continued this, entirely selfish in his own desires and he _wanted_ Reid. A groan escaped him and he thrust his hips into Reid's his teeth sinking gently into Reid's lower lip as a lewd sound escaped from him. 

"Inspector," Jackson whined, refusing to feel ashamed for his affections towards Reid. "There is nothing wrong with me, right? Please tell me this is normal, I can't-..." his eyes were sad. This is the most broken down he'd seen Jackson, and he didn't know much about him, but he was sure that he would be back to normal come morning. His only hope was that Jackson remembered this night and hadn't forgotten it, and he knew that if that happened it would crush him to bear the weight of it. 

"There is nothing wrong with you," Reid said, pressing soft kisses to his face. He dragged Jackson's hand up to his face and kissed his palm down to his wrists, every touch gentle. Even still, he faltered in what he really longed to say.

Reid closed his eyes and imagined them both in a world where they could be accepted, and even though he hadn't said a word to Jackson pertaining to his true affections for his American, he had longed for this moment longer than he cared to admit. The American in front of him was his heart, but he knew they could be nothing more than what they were before this moment, so he counted on Jackson not remembering a word of it come morning. If he forgot, he was aware that it would hurt, but _couldn't_ do this and let Jackson be hurt by this.

Fuck it. If they kept it quiet, if they never let anyone know of what happened here, then they would be fine. Reid let him rut against his leg and tilted his head back to allow Jackson access to his neck, also letting him undo his tie and the first few buttons of his shirt. He didn't understand Jackson's gentleness with him, and he wondered how the man was gentle with him and yet for the people that knew him outside of this drunken stupor, they would say that Reid was delusional and they couldn't imagine Jackson doing such a thing. Not even he could believe it, even holding Jackson within his arms and feeling him breathe wasn't enough for him to accept this unfamiliar side.

"Please don't let me go, Edmund. Please," He whined, and Reid thought the he should be the one pleading with Jackson and not the other way around.

"I won't," Reid said, feeling Jackson's lips pressed to his. He was trembling, shivering under Reid's touch and Reid was feeling soothed by the feeling of someone's affection being directed at him. Those forbidden words danced at the tip of his tongue, longing to be said out loud and heard. Jackson's tongue brushed against his, the taste of whiskey and cigarettes (and _sweets?_ ) lingering. The other man arched his back into Reid, his head tilted back, a strand of saliva connecting there lips as he opened his mouth slightly, hips jerking against Reid's. Reid found himself reciprocating the action, his breath hitching in his throat. "I-.... I..." He couldn't bring himself to say it, and he could barely bring himself to make Jackson stop, but he stopped his hips from moving. "You need to be _sober,_ Captain. I can't do this with you like this," he said, thumbs brushing against Homer's skin where his shirt was un-tucked.

"Please, Ed-"

"No," Reid said firmly, entwining their legs and keeping Jackson still at the same time. He wrapped his arms around Jackson, closing his eyes and breathing in his comforting scent. His breath caught in his throat and he hid his face in Jackson's now dry hair. "I want you to know that I feel the same about you," he muttered, adoring the way Jackson pressed into him for comfort.

"'m sorry," Jackson slurred, his voice muffled.

"You do not have to apologise, Homer," Reid said quietly. "There is nothing wrong with you. No one may choose who they love, it comes to us over time," he ran his fingers through Jackson's hair, feeling his warm breath tickle his neck where he had been kissing just moments before. "I love you too, and if you were to forget, it would hurt me greatly,"

"I won't," Jackson closed his eyes, pressing himself into Reid as much as he could, finally feeling the cold kiss his skin.

Reid listened to Jackson's breathing until it finally evened out, then he got comfortable and tried to find sleep as well. It would be awkward come morning, but Jackson really wouldn't forget, and he didn't. 

**Author's Note:**

> What is happening? I don't know.  
> I attempted to be somewhat vague in the story, it's just a one-shot that's meant to be as annoying as those short stories they read to you in school. I _love_ these two so much, and I'm still on the second season but I really ship them. I hope that this is enjoyable, but this was really for my own pleasure.


End file.
